Kreayshawn on Spice Girls, Clubbin' With Grandma, and If She's Sick of "Gucci Gucci"

The O-Town rapper has copped a lot of fame recently, leading up to her major label release and a big nationwide tour that she can only describe as "crazy."

Her travels will bring her to our very own LIV for a special performance on Wednesday, November 7. But we here at Crossfade caught up with Kreayshawn last week to talk about the Spice Girls, party rap, and whether she's fucking sick of "Gucci Gucci."

Crossfade: You're influenced by the Spice Girls. How are they inspirational when it comes to rap music?

Kreayshawn: Well, rap music is just kind of the style of music that was popular when I was growing up. So it was more the girl power aspect of their music that inspired my music. It wasn't like I heard them and wanted to rap. It was kind of like what they stood for in their fashion and how they just always had fun with whatever they were doing.

Who was your favorite Spice Girl?

Ginger Spice.

Do you think she'd be proud of your swaggin' ovaries?

Yeah, I think she would dig something like that.

Do you think of yourself as a role model for girls? Or are you more concerned with just being yourself?

I try and be a role model by just being myself. I don't go out of my way to be, like, supersafe, y'know? I think it's better to just be a real person. But I'd hope that some girls look up to me. Or take the good things about me, not like everything, y'know?

What's your take on this whole go-dumb movement in rap music? Why does everyone want to just party all the time? Is it our generation? Are we out of fucks?

There's always been that type of music. But today, this generation is a lot more people making music. So there's a lot more people who are like, "Let's do what's poppin, let's make popular music." I think that's where the trend starts forming. But I'm always down to do party music. I don't want to hear no sad bullshit all the time.

What have you been working on now that your album is out?

Well, trying to do this tour right now. So I haven't really thought of anything but doing this huge tour. It's crazy.

Is it mind-blowing for you?

Yeah, it's pretty crazy. I've been doing a lot of promo for the album. I'm doing shows and stuff. So now it's my turn to go on tour. I don't think I'm going to be thinking about anything until I'm gonna come off tour. Then I'll go on vacation for once in my life.

So you're coming to Miami. It seems you might have some disdain for money-grubbing status whores. What do you think of Miami's designer fashion addiction and our whole culture?

It's interesting. When I go out there, I feel like it's like a whole different color of life. I mean, not only are the buildings painted crazy colors, but everything just feels different. It's cool, like a real vacation place, because it has a whole different vibe from New York or California. It's kind of like both mixed into one and way more chill, with a whole bunch of guns.

But it's funny, my 100-year-old great-grandma is going to come to the club to watch me perform out there.

That's awesome.

Yeah, so she's going to have her own VIP table and bottle service all night. She's like, ready.

Are you totally sick of "Gucci Gucci"? Or do you still enjoy performing it?

I started doing this new thing where I do it in an accent. I try to do it in a London accent when I rap it. So that's keeping me entertained now.

What is your personal favorite track on Somethin' 'Bout Kreay?

I don't know. All of them are pretty good. I think one that turned out really good that I didn't expect would be "BFFs," because it's like a very pop, sad best-friend song. But it's so weird that I love that song.

You used to film music videos. Do you still fuck around behind the camera?

Yeah, I direct my music videos still and I've done a couple projects with other artists. But probably not as much as I could have if I wasn't releasing major label albums and stuff. I think I'm going to concentrate more on other things that I'm good at doing, like film and designing crazy things, inventing. I'm always drawing up inventions.

What kind of inventions?

I can't talk about it because they're rare right now. I wouldn't want anyone out there stealing my ideas yet.

You need to get some patents.

Yeah.

So you're making major label records, designing crazy shit, inventing secret things. Is it your goal to take over the world?

Oh, yeah. Kreay's world. That's what it is.

Anything else you want to tell the people of Miami before you get here?

Everyone drink water and hydrate, because it's important. And recycle.

Kat Bein is a freelance writer for Miami New Times and has been described as the publication’s "senior millennial correspondent." She holds a bachelor of science in journalism from the University of Florida and an impressive, if unhealthy, knowledge of all things pop culture. With a career emphasis on dance music, she is also a regular contributor to Billboard, Vice’s Thump, and Insomniac.com.